Wissahickon standout wins gold

For Montgomery Media

In 1968, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger sang an opening line for a song that went — “Please allow me to introduce myself.”

Now, 44 years later, Wissahickon’s Lotte Black could have sung that same line herself at Suburban One League American Conference Girls Cross Country Championships, which were held Friday morning at Lehigh University.

To say that the Trojans’ stellar freshman fared well LQ KHU fiUVW-HvHU KLJK VFKRRO championship meet would be a gross understatement. She not only fared well, she won the gold medal.

Black led a parade of unGHUFODVVPHQ — fivH RI WKH WRS VLx — wKHQ VKH FURVVHG fiUVW with a clocking of 20:03. Her time was almost a half-minute IDVWHU WKDQ WKH QHxW fiQLVKHU — Cheltenham senior Hannah Gilliam at 20:31.

When Upper Dublin captured the American Conference team title, it marked the fourth consecutive year — DQG WKH fiIWK yHDU LQ WKH last six — that the Cardinals captured the crown.

Upper Dublin won the team title with 42 points. Wissahickon took second place with 49 followed by Upper Merion (68), Cheltenham (84), Plymouth Whitemarsh (140) and Upper Moreland (154).

Ironically, none of the seven scorers on this year’s championship squad were on the team that won the title in 2009.

7KH CDUGV’ fiQLVKHUV LQ )ULday’s meet at Lehigh University were junior Isabel Uribe (third, 20:45), sophomore Marissa Holl (sixth, 20:57), sophomore Lucile Ionescu, (eighth, 21:01), freshman Emily Wu (10th, 21:04), junior Jackelyn Lillo (15th, 21:24), sophomore Candice Ionescu, (18th, 21:48) and junior Samantha Petrosky (21st, 22:10).

Last year, Wissahickon broke a four-year streak of WKLUG-SODFH fiQLVKHV wKHQ LW placed second behind Upper Dublin. The Trojans came back with another runner-up fiQLVK WKLV yHDU.

In addition to Black, WisVDKLFNRQ’V RWKHU fiQLVKHUV were Jessica nuesenberry (ninth, 21:03), Nicole Schaefer (11th, 21:09), Marissa Fritz (12th, 21:12), Jillian Gude (16th, 21:37) and Caroline Mitchell (17th, 21:43).

Upper Merion and Upper Dublin produced one-two fiQLVKHV )ULGDy PRUQLQJ DW the Suburban One League American Conference Boys’ Cross Country Championships at Lehigh University.

Upper Merion won the team title with 45 points and Upper Dublin was a close second with 47. Individually, Upper Dublin’s Francis Ferruzzi won the gold medal with a clocking of 16:30 while Upper Merion’s Christian Sanders snagged the silver medal with a time of 17:00.

7ULVWDQ 0DUFHOLV fiQLVKHG third at 17:01 — one second behind Sanders.

Marcelis’ younger brother Lukas Marcelis placed sixth with a time of 17:19.

2WKHU WRS DUHD fiQLVKers in the American Conference race were Upper Merion’s Austin Cooper (fourth, 17:09), Plymouth Whitemarsh’s Cassidy SilvHUWKRUQ (fiIWK, 17:13), DDQ Shalala (eighth, 17:34) and Robert Biddle (10th, 17:37), Upper Dublin’s Steve Williamson (seventh, 17:30) and Upper Merion’s Nick Tornambe (ninth, 17:36).